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Set it, but don't forget it.
(Credit: Rüegg)Backyard parties are always a lot of fun. Friends and family get together to eat and drink and share talltales and gossip. But, mostly eat. Plans have to be made for the grill, what to put on it, how to marinate it, and finally how to cook it. Which means, somebody has to be in charge of the grill. While it may be rewarding to oversee a landscape of cooking meats and vegetables, the reality is with responsibility, sacrifices must be made. While all your friends are over there laughing and having fun, you're stuck making sure their food doesn't burn.
What could end up being a bitter tasting barbecue can be avoided if the meats and vegetables would just cook themselves. At least when it comes to shish kabobs, the Valigrill by Ruegg lets that happen. The electrically operated grill features a set of automatically rotating skewers to keep meat slowly spinning over the fire without burning. A combustion bar feeds oxygen to the charcoal grill, ensuring even and continual burning. The grill is mounted on wheels for easy portability. For good old-fashioned grilling, a standard grill grate is included, that is if you want to stand over a hot fire while all your friends are having fun.
(Via Appliancist)
Calorie counter.
(Credit: Cooking.com)Scales are handy little things to have around the kitchen. One can weigh ingredients for baking and always be assured of the exact amount. Flour is notorious for volumetric trickery, so for baking, weight-based measurements are the way to go. The same can be said about a whole host of other ingredients, but when it comes to the actual scale, there is no reason they can't do a little more.
The Cesto by Escali is a scale that brings more to the table. In fact it brings more to wherever you would like it to go. Dubbed a "Portable Nutritional Tracker," the thin device measures 8.75 inches by 6.25-inches across. While the portability of anything larger than a phone may be debatable, the scale does have functions for measuring a variety of nutritional information including: calories, sodium, protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol or fiber.
Knowing how much something weighs and what's in it is a pretty good way to keep track of multiple aspects of a diet. With an easy-to-use interface and an uncluttered design, the usefulness of this scale is apparent. Add a modern styling and the scale becomes even more attractive--no matter where you decide to use it.
Packing lunch for your kids--or yourself--every day can get a little boring. But you can spice things up a bit and have some fun with these atomic food containers.
You probably won't convince anyone that your lunch is truly radioactive, but you'll at least have the most recognizable containers in the office, so Kevin from accounting can't claim he "accidentally" grabbed your leftover pad thai.
And despite the warnings emblazoned on the bowls, they're dishwasher- and microwave-safe. They even include a built-in air vent and date timer, so you probably won't poison yourself with your leftovers. Snag a set of three differently sized bowls for under $10.
Too tempting to stay inside.
(Credit: Amazon)Grilling season is never officially over. Unlike team sports or the weather, the grill doesn't cycle through calendar months, ticking off days, perpetually preparing for next season. While the use of the grill may be directly linked to sports and weather patterns, the fact remains that grilling trumps all. Two degrees above freezing in hockey season is still cause enough to bust out the grill, especially when there are new toys to play with.
For those who can stand the cold and wish for the fire, here is the Grilling Basket and Tray With Lidded Shaker Set available on Amazon. Grilling utensils fashioned into mesh baskets are always a popular item; one can grill small veggies or delicate foods such as fish without worry of losing contents to the fire. Complete with a nonstick coating, the grill baskets form a trifecta of easy-to-handle, easy-to-clean, and tempting-to-use cookware for the grill.
The variety of the three grill baskets brings diversity to the grill, but the standout is the Lidded Shaker (which can be purchased separately). Grilled hot potatoes or home fries can have seasoning added to them throughout the cooking process; a quick flip with the wrist and salt and spices become incorporated with no threat of any delicious morsels falling into the fire. Cold weather grillers should appreciate the affinity of this cookware for potatoes. The classic comfort food should supply enough energy to get through any weather.
Together at last.
(Credit: Amazon)A bowl of freshly popped popcorn is close to being the perfect snack. Healthy, delicious, and versatile, the fluffy treat can take on any flavor you decide to impart upon it. The same can be said about nuts. Although high in fat, in moderation, nuts are essential eating. Nuts and popcorn together is like a secret combination of the universe. Snack makers long ago discovered the power of the popcorn and nut combination, but that doesn't mean you have to enjoy the mixture on their terms.
Nuts, like popcorn, are best served hot. Easy enough task when it comes to popcorn; there are many ways to make corn pop. From the stovetop to the microwave to the air popper, freshly popped popcorn is rarely more than a few steps away. But what of fresh roasted nuts? That is a bit trickier. With the West Bend Kettle Krazy Popcorn Popper and Nut Roaster you can easily do both.
The combination appliance uses a motorized stir rod and a nonstick temperature-controlled heating plate to keep the nuts from burning as they cook. You won't be able to make both nuts and popcorn at the same time--a simple control knob switches from "nuts" to "popcorn"--but when you are ready, the lid flips over and becomes a 6-quart serving bowl. Just like popcorn and nuts, this all-in-one snack maker makes perfect sense.
Can't decide? Have both.
(Credit: Sanyo)Indecision can be a wonderful thing. When choices present themselves, there are times when it seems impossible to make a decision. In the kitchen, sometimes this waffling creates inspiration. Craving for more than one type of food can lead to experimentation when the answer is simply to have both. Spectacular combinations can be formed out of this alliance, from peanut butter and chocolate to fried chicken and waffles.
The Sanyo Indoor Barbecue Grill and Griddle combines two great cooking appliances and merges them into one. With 200 square inches of cooktop real estate, the combination appliance has ample room to cook up new creations from your imagination. The 1,300-watt device has an adjustable temperature range from 200 degrees F to 425 degrees F. The grill features a grease channel, for fat and grease to drain away, while the griddle has a convenient integrated lid.
Perfect for all-in-one cooking, the cooktop makes it easy to plan complete meals with just one appliance. Classic combinations such as steak with eggs and burgers covered in melted cheese are easily made using the features of this gadget. And of course, the design encourages experimentation. It may not be capable of cooking fried chicken and waffles, but that doesn't mean you can't give steak and pancakes a try. Let your imagination run wild.
That? Why, that's a turkey fryer.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)It's almost that time of year again. With Halloween right around the corner, thoughts across the country will soon turn to the most important food holiday of the year: Thanksgiving. Before the apple pie, before the mashed potatoes, before all the traditional appetizers, side dishes and desserts, comes the turkey. As a centerpiece of the meal, turkey preparation takes center stage for good reason, and it all starts with how you decide to cook the turkey.
Every year, Black Friday not only features news stories about mall attendance, but also unfortunate stories of fires caused by deep frying turkey. If you are choosing fried turkey this year, leave the shoddy preparation in the past and get yourself a dedicated appliance. As far as unitaskers go, the Masterbuilt Butterball Professional Series Indoor Electric Turkey Fryer probably isn't too bad of a choice. (And to be fair, a cooking basket and drain clip are included to fry other foods.)
The kitchen appliance is small enough for countertop use, but is large enough to accommodate a 14-pound turkey. Complete with breakaway power cord and automatic safety shutdown, the indoor fryer makes it easy to cook delicious turkey for your big meal. Other features include a filtered lid with viewing window for when you just have to (safely) sneak a peek.
I want that one.
(Credit: Taylor Gifts)Someday, all food will come in exact sizes and shapes. No, I'm not talking about the oft-mentioned food pills of the always-distant future, where one capsule supplies enough nutrients for the day. Hopefully, that terrifying future never falls upon us, because eating or preparing a well-made meal can be rewarding in its own right. However, there is something to be said about food that is served exactly the same every time. Just ask siblings how they feel about the concept as they try to split a particularly delicious treat like pizza or a brownie.
Speaking of brownies, we've seen the concept before: a brownie pan that creates equal-sized squares of the chocolate treat. While it is not uncommon for children to fuss over who has a larger piece of brownie, the competition is rarely taken to dinner items, such as lasagna. Thanks to the Slice Lasagna Pan, it need never happen.
Twelve perfectly portioned squares of lasagna are cooked at one time. Simply layer your creation as you would with any other lasagna pan, and then push in the cutting grid. The lasagna cooks into individual squares, with the added benefit of four delicious cooked sides for each piece of lasagna. Of course if lasagna is not your thing, with its 2.75-inch depth there is no stopping you from making twelve huge squares of brownies--all with four sides of crust.
A crowd pleaser.
(Credit: Bed Bath & Beyond)It takes a real commitment to decide on a slow-cooked meal. Pot roast, chili, stews, braised short ribs: all of these slow cooker meals require lots of cooking time. When the ingredients are in the pot, there's not much you can do to change your mind. Meals made in a slow cooker truly are set-it-and-forget-it-type meals. Once it gets going, there's no turning back.
The Crock-Pot Duo Cook and Server does double duty in more ways than one. First, the appliance combines two cooking vessels along with an attractive service for convenient tableside dining. Second, there are two slow cookers in one package. Operating with independent controls, each crock holds 2.5 quarts of your (two) favorite slow-cooked meals. All the standard amenities one would expect are present: choose from high, low, and warm for cooking, and the stoneware crocks and lids are dishwasher safe.
The ability to cook, warm and serve with this one appliance is handy for get-togethers and parties. For the perpetually undecided, the double duty nature of this double barreled makes perfect sense. No matter if you need to please a crowd or simply prepare in advance for fleeting cravings, this slow cooker duo has you covered.
The workhorse of the kitchen.
(Credit: Zappos)Kitchen appliances can be great time-savers. Chopping, slicing, and dicing needs can be met with a food processor, microwaves can cook up entire meals with a press of a few buttons, and blenders can rapidly turn chopped vegetables into smooth purees for sauces, soups, and drinks. But when it comes to pure strength, one appliance stands out above others: the stand mixer.
The Viking Professional 5-quart Stand Mixer makes it easy to whip up labor-intensive recipes without strain or stress. The 800-watt motor with metal gear transmission powers through common kitchen tasks such as whipping, stirring, and beating. The locking tilt-back head gives easy access to the work bowl and attachment mount. Included with the stand mixer is a "V" beater, a whip, a dough hook, and the bowl. A number of accessories are also available for many other kitchen tasks: blender jar, pasta maker, food grinder, slicer/shredder, and pouring shield.
The stand mixer does the hard work for recipes that require a lot of mixing or kneading. There is very little to not like about a batch of cookies or freshly baked bread, but the effort required to produce quality results can be distracting. With the stand mixer doing all of the heavy lifting, it leaves time for more important things: like concentrating on the delicious results.
